Recruitment Resources (Boy Scouts of America)

Resources to Assist Volunteers of the Boy Scouts of America with their unit recruitment:

Unit Recruiter

• Recruitment Team
• Annual Recruitment Plan
• Important Recruitment Supplies -
  • Prepare Unit One-Sheet - one-page flyer about the unit, important contacts, annual calendar of events and unit goals (Ie "have fun").
  • Stack of Scout Interest Cards -
  • Stack of Adult Applications -
  • Stack of Youth Applications -
  • Stack of Boys Life Samples -
• Recruitment Training

Get Scout Leader Basic Training - Having a rich understanding of the program will greatly enhance your success as a unit recruiter. 7. Attend Wood Badge - This advance scouting leadership training course will give you some awesome skills to greatly enhance your success as a unit recruiter. 8. Frequently attend unit activities - Look for new faces of youth, adults, and siblings that are participating or could be potential participants. 9. Presentation to Unit Committee - advise your unit on how they can assist the recruitment effort. 10. Participate in District Membership Committee - get update info on recruitment events and opportunities in your area. 11. >Attend District Roundtable Monthly - get update info on recruitment events and opportunities in your area. Several times a year they have recruitment refresher sessions and updated recruitment collateral. 12. Study BSA Year-Round Guide to Boy Scout Recruiting - 6-page pdf. 13. BSA Recruiting Hub - More online resources. 14. Prepare Recruitment Station - table, tablecloth, large posters, easles, handouts, etc. (My best posters were photos of the youth doing super fun outdoor activities. I also had old boys life magazines ready to handout too.)

General Recruiting Tips

Year Round Referrals

3) Invite A Friend: By far the single most effective recruitment tool is a word of month referral youth-to-youth or parent-to-parent. Scouting holds weekly, monthly annual activities that are fun. All activity announcements sent to families by phone, mail, flyer, text, etc should always carry a note to Invite a Friend.
3.1) Visitor Attendance Log: Each unit should keep a visitor attendance log. Some units may award a year end prize or family membership discount to the top 1-3 recruiters of the year.
3.2) Pass-A-Long Card: A simple 3x5 type invite card. Front side is a colorful invite and the backside has contact information for the troop, troop website, BeAScout.org, etc. (See example to the right.)
4) BeAScout.org: Every Scout unit should check their listing here periodically.

Cyber Presense :

15. Update "BeAScout" Cyber Pin - BSA National and Council conducts various large scale marketing campaigns that directs parents to use this interactive online map to find the right scouting unit nearest their home or school or special interest. Proof that your "pin" is working, has the right contact info and a good description of your program and link to your unit website. 16. Build Unit Website - Many perspective families will do online research before contacting you again. Your website presense should have great pictures and family testimonials to help sell your unit. State your unit mission and purpose. BSA Pack 235 - Red Hill Lutheran Church. (Sample) BSA Troop 11 - Alameda CA (Sample) BSA Troop 707 & Crew 707 - Lake Highlands Elks Lodge. (Sample) BSA Sea Scout Ship 3500 - "Rock of Ages" - Pleasant Harbor Marina. (Sample)

17.ScoutWiki Unit Pin - Update your unit listing on this additional volunteer scouting cyber marketing effort.

Other Referrals

D. Word of Mouth Referrals: 24. Recruiter Recognition - Scout to Scout "word of mouth" referrals is certainly the most effective way attract and retain new members. Encourage the youth to earn and display this patch. 25. Encourage Scouts to Wear the Class B shirts - especially before Back To School Night or any School Festival. 26. Encourage Adult Scouters to Wear the Class B shirts or other souvenir scouting shirts - (I frequently get positive feedback when I wear mine out in public.) 27. Custom Troop Bumber Sticker - place on scout vehicles, trailers, camp gear, school binders, and more. 28. Benefits of Scouting Flyer - Prepare a summary recap handout of the many benefits of Scouting. 29. "Invite A Friend" - Every scouting activity flyer should include a reminder to the scouts to bring a friend. Fun activities is their opportunity to make a positive impression. 30. Unit Pass-along Cards - for unit adult scouters to share with acquaintances and street contacts 31. Serve your Neighbors - encourage scouts to look for frequent opportunities to serve their neighbors. 32. Scouting Posters for the Home - Encourage scouting families to hang scouting posters in the home. 33. Digital Device Background - encourage youth and adults to have a scouting theme backdrop for their phone, reader, computer or other digital device. 34. U>Share Scout theme videos - in social media, Youtube, facebook, twitter. 35. Unit Newsletter - monthly, quarterly or annual. 36. Frequent Field Trips - every scout outting is a unique opportunity to interact with the general population and to show your unit brand. 37. Make New Friends - A Scout is Friendly - as often as possible. Look for someone who needs a friend. 38. Discover New Hobbies - Make friends thru new hobbies and find a scouting connection. 39. Use Scouting Lingo - Get friends to ask you about what those words mean.

Social Media

E. Social Media Marketing:

40. Business Message Boards - 41. Church Message Boards - 42. NextDoor.org - "The Private Social Network for Your Neighborhood." 43. Facebook Advertising - 44. #Beascout Hashtag on Twitter - 45. Share a daily/weekly scout message 46. Encourage Scouter Blogging - Many scouters have different journal methods and reach different audiences. 47. Facebook Comments - post scout positive comments in Facebook. 48. Include US Flag Image - scientifically proven to have a positive persuasive effect for scouting recognition. 49. Facebook Compliments #1 - Thank people and organizations for their support of scouting or the country or for our Veterans. 50. Facebook Quote of the Day - 51. >Facebook Links - Great BoysLife Articles - link to fun articles in BoysLife, Scouting Wire, etc. ScoutingWire.org - more great scouting articles. Benefits of Scouting #1 - Links to great articles about the benefits of Scouting. Benefits of Scouting #2 - more great article links

52. Facebook Links - Scouting News - Find lots of positive eagle service project news articles. Positive, complementary, service, and humorous. (There are always lot.) Troop 282 Honors Veterans with 21-Gun Salute and Flag Ceremony Scouting For Food Kick’s Off Giving Season University Acceptance Letter Compliments Eagle Scouts - Webelos Scout Sells Popcorn in all 50 States

53. Unit Twitter Handle - #Troop726SDIC 54. Unit Instagram Account - 55. Unit Facebook Page - I ran mine like a big private group scrapbook to share event pictures with scouter families. These families could then share with their friends and extended family. 56 : Open for more ideas

Cub Scout Pack Recruitment

School Recruiting:

School Night for Scouting is for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade; which are the normal Cub Scout ages. From June to August, watch your District Roundtable for training cub scout recruiting, and organizing School Night for Scouting in your area.

18. School Night for Scouting (SNFS) - a one night event at the start of the school year, where we provide the opportunity to sign-up for Cub Scouts at every elementary school in the district. Most new scouting recruits come from this event. Ask your district executives which schools (public, private, charter, church-school, home-school, etc) are in your neighborhood and have not been assigned to a Cub Pack as of yet. School Night Tips - NorthernStarBSA.org Sign-up Night Playbook - ScoutingWire.org School Night Planning Guide - Prepare for and deliver an effective school recruiting function School Night for Scouting - 2013 YouTube Presentation

19. School Community Newspapers - they are always looking for appropriate news stories. Share with them about scouts, activities, accomplishments, etc. 20. School Message Boards - 21. PTA Meetings - link School Night for Scouting with parent orientation, a PTA meeting, or some other event that is more heavily promoted. Some packs often provides crafts and games for the children while parents are meeting teachers. 22. PeachJar.org - What's After Class? - Many schools now contract with PeachJar to deliver timely online notices about approved after-school programs like sports and scouting. (Normally $25 per listing, but ask around about "Free" listings.) 23. New Family Orientation Night - Schedule a scout night roughly 1-2 weeks after the School Night Recruiting to welcome them to your pack, collect signup forms and initial membership